I didn't get into this book as quickly as I expected to, probably because severed limbs (which open the book) aren't really my thing. I wasn't sure I liked the main characters in the beginning quarter or so, but by the middle of the book they had started to grow on me, and by the end I found myself engaged with all of them. For me, the most pleasant surprise was how funny this book was. Overall, it had a nice balance of humor/romance/plot while still grappling with somewhat dark subject matter. I also liked the twist at the end. I felt a little uncomfortable with the portrayal of Asians -- there are only two in the book, and one is a gangster leader, the other an evil scientist. Hm. It also strained credibility at places, but I don't think its intention was to be totally scientifically plausible -- just to present a fun, quirky story against a sci-fi backdrop. For the most part, it works. I find myself wondering if it might work even better as a movie, where it's easier to ignore the niggling, "Yeah, but ..." questions.